Asking about evidence/research

One of my earliest and warmest memories of getting my feet wet in larps took place when I was cast in a convention larp as a forensic specialist.  Now, I like detective fiction and at that point in my life I was seriously considering getting a job as a forensic specialist of some sort. So I was reading a lot of books on the subject of crime scenes, and evidence handling.

At the larp in question, a crime was committed. I started asking pertinent questions and so I was sent to go look at the crime scene. I went with the Assistant GM to the area that had been designated and I started making notes about the things she described. Then I started asking MORE questions. The sorts of questions that might get you pulled off of a plane by a nervous flight crew.  It did make HER get a little glassy eyed, so in something of a panic, she summoned the head GM. He rolled up on me, I think a little annoyed at being pulled away from the scene he was running and asked what the matter was.  I began peppering HIM with the same sorts of questions.  He smiled, and said, “Ah. I see.  We really cast you well didn’t we?” before allowing the Assistant to skive off.

I was pleased.

But it did sort of point up to me, that there may be times, when you know a great DEAL about a particular subject and maybe the GM does not. You might be an expert on Ancient Etruscan in your everyday life.  You might happen to know a LOT about ceremonial magical practices. You may read voraciously about the inner workings of investigative bodies and clandestine intelligence gathering arms of the federal government.

When you are asking about these sorts of things, you need to do the following:

1) Ask the question in a way that lets the GM know what sort of information you are actually hoping to glean from it. 

Like this: “I see from these scorch marks that there was some kind of fire here. Is there any coloration or other indication that this fire was set using an accelerant of some sort? Or is it likely that this was some of sort of “magical” fire?

Or even something like, “I don’t think that Yeti’s are actually involved, but from this hair sample could I at least eliminate them from consideration?”

2) Slow down, if you can. Don’t let your deep knowledge of the subject take you in an errant direction because you think the GM must know as much about it as you do.  If this seems likely, ASK!   If nothing else, It may allow you to eliminate certain possibilities.  

3) If you are about to eliminate something as a possibility, say so when talking to the GM. They MAY backtrack and point you in a direction of another clue.  A GM’s job is not to withhold information, but to get information into your hands. Not every GM gets this, but most do.

One Question per Email

Full Disclosure: I cribbed this idea from a fellow member of the Camarilla who was a coordinator.

He was talking about the flood of mail he got as a coordinator and how he handled it.  He said he would tell those that mailed things, to limit each and every question they wanted to ask to a single email. That way there would be more mail, but it was easier to handle.

he explained: Any time someone sends me an email with a dozen things in a single list. there are question that I want to think about some before answering and maybe even a few that require input from other I St’s. So those end up being held before I respond. Whereas other questions. I can answer on the spot and clear off my queue.  If you send me a question that rightly ought to go to another storyteller then I can just forward that single piece of mail.

This seemed blindingly obvious to me once he’d explained it. and so it’s become my goto method for communicating with Storyteller Command. And on those occasions when I am ST, it’s what I ask for.

anatomy of a convention Larp

Here are the things you can expect from any given Convention Larp:

1) People WILL blow smoke up your ass and tell you they are definitely coming. Don't waste your time and energy hating them.  They may have simply run out of money or they had someone wave something new and shiny in their faces on the way to play your game. Gamers, as a species, have trouble with committing to anything until the last possible second. It's just how they are wired.

2) No matter how good the larp is, you will lose approximately 17% of your players the second night. There is no easy fix for this. Also, no one will come to you and let you know that they've decided that instead of playing a pivotal role in your awesome game that they have some very important drinking to do. So expect to find out that some roles you'd thought filled are now empty again.

3) Most of the first few hours of play will involve players wandering around and trying to surreptitiously read one another's name tags.

4) On the last evening of the larp, Players will realize that they will never have another opportunity to play THESE specific characters again. And so they will drive them like a rental car.

Delineating the Areas

It's a good idea to decide where stuff is, and to tell your players where it is. Let's assume you're doing a Vampire Larp. It's really important to try to make a determination as to where things are such as the Tremere Chantry, Vampire town hall, and the Sabbat hideout are. Granted, many venues aren't really congenial to setting aside whole areas for larp play but even if it's just a particular corner that been set aside as the Nosferatu sewers, it will let players know where to go.

The alternative is something I've seen all too many times. People wandering around lost, looking for their elders who are wandering around looking for them. It makes for too much walking. Wandering characters may have vital information and be unable to find the right people. It also enables parley. If I'm playing the Tremere regent and I want to send an emissary to the Nosferatu, all I have to do I send him to the area set aside for them and he'll hang out there until a Nosferatu happens upon him and demands to know his business.

Newbies will also need a place to find the elders (read:the experienced players) before someone decides to off them for the simple crime of tooling around cluelessly.

While you can certainly delineate areas with a couple of nicely printed up pages and/or a map in the player’s packet, I have also seen it done, where the areas were delineated with small dry erase whiteboards. This can be useful as it can note changes in the environment.

Levels of Play

It's a simple fact that people don't game at the same level of experience. Some folks have a lot of experience. Some are Larp GM’s at home. Some may even be total system monkeys who know stuff cold.

But not everybody has this level of competency. Some folks have done it a couple of times and have more enthusiasm than raw ability. Some folks have played tabletop Vampire, but wouldn't know an R-P-S challenge if it nibbled on their naughty bits. Some people don't know anything about larping,Vampire,gaming or anything else. They may not even be sure who they are or what their name is. Sadly, these folks will attach themselves lamprey-like to the first person they see.

While I encourage players to help those less experienced than themselves, there is a fine line between coaching and baby sitting. It can be fun to take a relative newby and explain the vagaries of kindred existence to them as part of an embrace storyline. It's quite another to have to explain the entirety of Vampire Cosmology to somebody before being able to go off and pursue one's own goals.

To this end, a GM must be prepared with a number of fairly crunchy low level characters to be doled out to newbies. These characters should have enough supplemental material that a new player could conceivably run them without having to bother somebody every five minutes.( Tip: People absorb material far faster by reading than by listening.) In a Vampire Larp, this should be Neonate Brujah,Gangrel,Ventrue and Toreador. Ideally they should play ghouls instead. But ghouls generally only figure into very large larps. Hunters might also be good idea for these types of players.

Public Speaking

When holding the first meeting of the con, it is very important that you prepare a speech for the beginning of the larp which informs the players and doesn't meander. Many times players are chomping at the bit to go and get involved so if you get up and make a bunch of general remarks and fumfuh around while you try to remember the other important bits of information. So make an agenda and stick to it as well as possible. Opening meeting information should include the following:

-What time the game starts each night of the con

-What time the storytellers plan to call it a night. (Doesn't mean play has to stop it just means adjudication won't be done after a certain time.)

-Where the players can find information out during the game (typically on the door of the GM’s room)

-Introduction of the game staff and who is responsible for what. ( I.E. if you've got a guy who is responsible for influence stuff then that should be announced so that players don't come to you for it.If you can get that guy a hat or a shirt that says in great big letters “INFLUENCE GUY” all the better.)

-Areas that have been specifically set aside for play (see above)

-Areas that are strictly off limits to Larp play.

-General remarks and welcome(which should come first)

-Plot related remarks (which should always be last.)

If you are uncomfortable as a public speaker, or speak too softly, or you are sick, or have trouble keeping attention of your players, you might want to consider turning the opening speech duties to someone else who is more capable in this regard. Also you should bring along something that will enable you to cut through the crosstalk and inevitable chatter that ensues like a gavel, or an airhorn, or a whistle, or a starter's pistol.

(Actually, we’ve often found that the best way to combat chatter and cross-talk is to stop talking and raise one hand in the air. and continue to remain silent until everyone else has become quiet and also has their hand in the air. This is useful in a number of ways. If i’m in the middle of a large scene and I am trying to speak over a dozen people I raise my hand and stop talking. Even people facing away from me will eventually see someone doing the same thing. Also: This makes it less necessary for some well-meaning person to shout.”SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!” Which really does nothing more than ratchet up the tension level.  

Once you explain it. It makes sense to the other players. Try it!

Closing Ceremonies

The last Larp that I went to had no closing ceremonies. Every con larp that I'd been to previously had one and I found that I missed it. It affords an opportunity for players to actually get to talk to one another outside of the game and to chill some of the hard feelings that might develop over the course of trying to kill one another. It also offers an opportunity for GM’s to lay out the plot some and expose a few of the secrets. I've also found it's a good time for people to exchange numbers, email, Business cards, and such. It's a nice to time bask in the warm glow of a game well played with the other players. If you can work it as a big brunch on the Sunday of the Convention, that is double points in my book.

Orientation

Each Larp will have it's share of newbies. Larp is actually a good way for people new to gaming to get involved and fool around with the idea of being another person and I am all for this idea. New people in a game can lead to old friends in future games and I'm certainly down with that! There's only one problem.

They don't know anything.They don't even SUSPECT anything.

While it's a good idea to set as good an example for newbies as possible. It's also really a good idea to set aside some time to get them trained. An hour before the game is to start, there should be a good general briefing for the very new players on the very basic ideas of the game and how the basics of the systems work. One person should host this Orientation and give the newbies an idea of what's going on. It is also my opinion that New persons should be given some sort of sticker for their badge that proclaims their newbie status. (while this might lead to some players preying on newbies others will have more mercy and anybody asshole enough to prey on newbies can be bounced from the game.

Nothing can bog down a larp like a passell of newbies who are asking a raftload of questions. It is my considered opinion that if a new player shows up too late for Orientation then they should not be allowed to play on the first night. Orientation can be run again on Saturday night if there is a need, but you should make that player wait until then. People who have played a game or two before would probably be alright and at least understand that the onus is on them to get up to speed on that learning curve.  But no one wants to deal with the half-drunk girlfriend of some other player who has never played a game before and seemingly isn’t interested in playing a character that is connected to the boyfriend is some way.You’d think that the Boyfriend would essentially volunteer to be her “Swim Buddy” but no.  

No one wants to babysit this person.

Also: it would be good if that person wasn’t the character that’s carrying around the Macguffin that a dozen players are looking for...and doesn’t know about it or care.

Not that I'm bitter...

Taking notes

I suspect that anyone who wants to become at least a LITTLE more organized in their approach to larping ought to begin by taking notes. Because If you don’t take notes, you forget. 

I mean like, “Jesus...What did we DO last game session?”

This advice may seem like it’s veering into “Well DUH!” territory. But bear with me.

There are lots of ways one can take notes. You can dictate to Siri. You can text to your Email.  For a while there I even had a pocket tape recorder like reporters use.  I kept trying to find ways to use it, but it was like carrying a camera. Unless you make it habitual, it won’t be the thing you automatically go for when something happens.  

Personally, I found that I gravitate to having a little book for taking notes in.  I bought myself a Filofax and loaded it with little pages.  A day runner might work just as well, but I wanted something stylish and if stashed in my jacket pocket, wouldn’t ruin the line of my suit. I splurged and got one made of black leather and I haven’t looked back.

If there was one organizational fillip that I might consider, it would be to get one of those pens with multiple colors of ink.  One of the major problems that I, personally, run into is trying to keep things straight.

For example I might consider using one color of ink solely for things my character knows. (I.E. Has experienced directly.)

I might consider another color of ink for things that I know Out Of Character. Hopefully, this would keep me from confusing the two.  It’s bad enough that sometimes people deliberately blur the line between the two kinds of information, but it’s worse I think when you literally cannot remember if you heard that bit of gossip IC or OOC.  I have trouble with this on occasion

I might consider yet another color of ink for anything classified as Speculation/Gossip and maybe a further delineation between MY speculations and someone else's.  Or it may be enough to write the notes down and go over them with highlighters later at the end of the evening.  Think of this as “Informational Triage”.  It’s especially important for you to make your notes either after the game session, while they are still fresh in your mind, or failing that, right before bed.  That way, your subconscious mind can chew them over while you sleep.   Many Game Masters have been somewhat flummoxed at conventions by yours truly, because I took notes, woke up early, made more notes while eating an enormous breakfast, and then had a scary -ass list of actions prepared at the opening of the next days gaming.

I prefer written notes, simply because the act of writing it down tends to make it stick in the memory.  I’ve read that the act of writing something is the equivalent of reading it seven times. I can’t speak to that, but I suspect it is true.  Also, you can occasionally draw lines between thoughts and connect them. Maybe even make a jack-leg diagram from it.

Notes eventually become one of two things in the course of play.

1) Notes become part of your In-Character Journal. Such a journal can be an invaluable guide to keeping the narrative of your character and the game straight in your head.   It can also help you develop your character’s “Voice” as it were.   Some games I play, the character I’m playing just flat doesn’t spend his time writing a journal. Some characters just don’t go that way.  But others, will not shut up and each game session will be new grist for his or her mill.  Lean into it.

2) Notes can also become a sort of De-facto “Dossier” It’s important that you keep an eye on your fellow players. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Figure them out like Batman would, with an eye towards putting them on the deck should they flip out or get mind controlled.  I have always found that if you are patient and pay attention, your enemies will inevitably HAND you the means of their destruction.

First Principles

Organization is a process, not a Grail.

What I mean by this is becoming organized is about learning new habits and getting them to stick. Habits are mental processes that once set require a minuscule amount of mental energy to enact. You want that mental energy for other things.  You DON’T want to expend so much mental energy on Larping that it becomes like a JOB.  There are things and ideas I’m going to talk about that will be like the water that anal-retentive people swim in. And there are going to be things that will require more energy than you want to devote to them.

That’s okay.  Don’t get so caught up in trying to do everything. Not all of it may be for you. You may find certain tips and tricks are just never going to be habitual for you. That’s fine.  Think of it this way: These are things that you might want to do to enhance your play. Not things that you HAVE to do in order to be allowed to enjoy anything.

All Logical systems and schemes eventually break down. It’s because our understanding of the universe is imperfect and limited. Organizational systems and schemes are the same. They always break down because “Miscellaneous” eventually becomes the largest category.  All i’m trying to say here is be at least a little flexible. You’re allowed to be. Logic and Intuition are like the shoes on your feet. You’ll get further with both than you will with just one.

Just as I am giving you permission to be less strict with yourself. I am also giving you permission to allow other people to do as they will. Some people will want to learn new tips and tricks. Perhaps they will see you doing something that never occurred to them and they will want to do so as well. There’s nothing wrong with being a good example for others. But just as that is the case, there are other players who are unwilling or incapable of getting their act together in the same way you do. It would be a good idea for you to keep your judgment to yourself. Busting someone’s hump just because they don’t do it the same way you do is not going to enhance anyone’s good time, nor will it make you any friends.  It also blinds you to the possibility that they may know something you don’t.   Always be looking for what lessons other people can teach you. Although, to be fair, sometimes the lesson is, “Don’t be THAT guy.”